1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to stringed instruments and in particular to those in which the neck includes a reinforcing member and to a unique process for preparing same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stringed instruments can be divided into two, basic categories: those which are bowed such as violins and those which are plucked such as guitars and the like. Stringed instruments usually comprise in order a head, a neck and a body. Strings pass from a tension means located in said head, over the neck of the instrument and are finally fastened in the body which serves to provide the resonating chamber for producing sound on the instrument. Both categories of instrument--violins and guitars--suffer from the same problem; i.e. in each, the strings impose large, tensile forces on the neck such that warping and twisting can occur. As the strings are further stretched to tune the instrument--using the head tension means--they impose extensive longitudinal stress over the neck and body of the instrument. If this stress cannot be adequately resisted, warping and twisting of the neck will occur thus producing distorted notes when the instrument is played. In severe cases, the warping and twisting can become so great that the strings will contact undesirable portions of the neck and thereby render the instrument un-playable.
The reinforcing of necks for stringed instruments in order to prevent or substantially reduce warping or twisting of said neck is known in the prior art and has been approached in several ways. In one particular embodiment, a steel rod was imbedded along the entire length of the neck. This was unsatisfactory since the head was not integrally reinforced in this configuration. In yet another prior art system there is described a neck made entirely of extruded aluminum. While necks made of metal are feasible, players of stringed instruments are accustomed to the warm feel of wood and the player is uncomfortable when using a cold, metallic element. Other methods of reinforcing using combinations of elements are also known in the prior art. All of these devices and methods have other draw-backs not solved by the elements provided and cannot fully provide a stringed instrument with little or no warpage under normal use. These prior art reinforcing structures also suffer from the fact that they must be individually made and do not lend themselves to multiple manufacture.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a reinforced stringed instrument that is substantially resistant to neck warpage and twisting when the strings of said instrument are under full tension.
Another object of this invention is to provide said stringed, reinforced element without sacrificing any of the tactile aesthetics of the instrument.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a quick and easy method for the manufacture of multiple, stringed, reinforced instruments, said process being easy and inexpensive.